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Test Anxiety...again!

Test anxiety. We’ve talked about it before. We’ve worried about it. But there’s always more to discuss.

Nearly everyone experiences some form of test anxiety. For some people it pushes them to study harder. For others test anxiety is debilitating, especially when it affects exam performance. So how do you deal with it? How do you conquer it so you can go on to perform successfully on your certification exam?

The first step is to figure out what exactly is causing you the anxiety. Is there a specific topic you feel completely lost on? A concept that you just can’t seem to grasp no matter how many times you read the material? And no, you can’t say that you don’t understand any of your exam content.

This is when I talk to candidates about using the practice test or online diagnostic test as a way to narrow in on the things you know and confirm what things you don’t know. When you take a practice test pause to ask yourself….do I know what this question is about? Do I have any idea of why some of the answers are completely wrong?

If the answer to either of those questions was ‘yes’, then that is a topic you are doing okay on. If the answer to either of those questions is ‘no’, then that is a topic you need a little more study on. Grab your materials for a quick review, or contact us to discuss your confusion. Using your practice tests this way, especially at the end of your studies, may reveal that you actually know more than you thought you did!

But what if your anxiety is about the actual test process itself? You’ve got your studying all finished and you know your topics but you can’t stop thinking about the actual test day and filling in all those little bubbles.

That is something you can deal with ahead of time as well! The ACE certification exams are multiple choice – no essay, no short answer. But sometimes figuring out how to approach a multiple choice question is the hard part. Check out the Exam Prep Blog on Multiple Choice Testing for some hints. Generally, you should be able to look at an exam question and eliminate two of the four answers right away. Picking between the final two answers is where you will see how well you know your exam material.

Need more practice with multiple choice quesitons before you feel comfortable? Use the online diagnostic practice tests – and time yourself! Set the kitchen time to 60 minutes, then sit down and start answering questions. This will give you that pressured environment you may be worried about on exam day.

When exam day comes, don’t forget to utilize the testing demonstration on the computer. This is a chance to see how to answer the questions, how to bookmark a question for later review, and how to submit your exam. Most of all, remember that although test anxiety can seem out of control, we can help you start to tame it. Just give us a call at 1-888-825-3636 x782

Good luck!

By April MerrittApril Merritt holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, a master’s degree in Health Promotion, and several ACE certifications including Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Health Coach.

April Merritt holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, a master’s degree in Health Promotion, and several ACE certifications including Personal Trainer and Health Coach.